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Aug. 21, 1923.

c. NEWTON WIRE REEL 0R SPOOL Filed Sept, 29, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l UnuMI/UOL Cir/c0205 L. JVwZon Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,454

' C. L. NEWTON WIRE REEL OR SPOOL Filed Sept. 29, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 dnuenim/ Clam-Zak Zjllzwifan,

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Aug. 21, 1923.. 1 465454 C. L. NEWTON WIRE REEL OR SPOOL Filed Sept. 29, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. NEWTON, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO; MILDRED F. NEWTON ADMINIS- TRATRIX OF CHARLES L. NEWTON, DECEASED.

WIRE REEL on sroon Application filed. September 29, 1921. Serial No. 504,056.

To all whom it may concern.

Ee it known that I, Urrnnnns L. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Reels or Spools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto reels or spools such as are used for the reception of plain or barbed wire, wire fencing and the like. More especially the invention relates to a Winding reel constructed entirely of wire.

The main purpose of the invention is to improve the general construction of devices of this character so as'to make acheap and economical reel for barbed and other wire which will be so constructed and braced as to remain rigid under the severe stresses to which such articles are subject in handling and shipping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reel wherein each head is formed of a single length of wire bent to a shape affording maximum strength and wherein the parts will be locked together'by the natural resilience of certain portions thereof.

1 In the following detailed description I shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved reel.

Figure 2-is an enlarged perspective view of'one of the longitudinal tie wires which connect the reel heads and form the reel barrel.

' Figure 3 is a detail perspective of the tie wires with slightly modified extremities to enable the parts to be readily disassembled.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 47- 1 of Figure 1 and showing the manner in which the reel heads are braced apart.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified 'form of reel.

Figure 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the tie wire used with the modified form shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective detail showing the modified tie wires arranged for ready disassembling Figure 8 is an end view of the central portion'of Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a second modification.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail perspective of the form of tie wire used in the second modification.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the reel and show'in the tie wire extremities modified to permit ready disassembling.

Figure 12 is an end view of a portion of the second modification shown in Fig. 9.

In constructing a reel illustrated in Fig. 1, each of the two heads is formed of a ring of heavy wire, which is bent to form a four pointed star having the extremities of the points rounded as at 10 and having between the points re-entrant angle portions 11. The ends of the wire are joined as at 121by welding or otherwise to form a continuous frame; Before assembling the wire is in the expanded form indicated in outline by the dotted lines 13 in Figures 1 and 5, but when assembled, the opposite re-entrant angles are drawn toward each other by the tie wires into the full line position. the resilience of the wire frame causing it to remain taut and rigid. in each of the forms illustrated each tie-wire has a central rectilinear portion 14 and at each end of this rectilinear portion the wire is bent to form an inwardly opening U-shaped bend or kink 15 to receive one of the inner angles of the end frame.-

In the forms shown in Figures 1 to 7, each extremity of each tie-wire extends from the bend 15 inwardly in a radial direction, as indicated at 16, to a point in spaced. relation to the center of the respective head, heingthere bentat an angle of 135. In the form shown in Figures 1 to 4. the portion beyond this angle extends straight from the angle substantially in the plane of the head as at 17 and terminates in a hook 18 which en gages in the angle of the adjacent extremity. These hooks may be either substantially closed as shown in Figure 5 or they may be left open as shown in Figures 3 and 7 at 18. when made in this latter manner it will be obvious that the hooks may be readily disengaged from the adjacent tie wire extremities to allow the reel to be taken apart yet considerable force is necessary to disengage them so that there is no tendency for the reel to collapse accidentally.

In the form of the device shown in Figures 5 to 8 the portions 17 of the first form are replaced by arcuate portions 17, each are being a quarter of a circle so that when the parts are assembled the ends of the tiewires interlock to form a complete circle, as illustrated in Figure 8 thus enabling a round rod or shaft to be passed through the reel upon which it may revolve in winding and unwinding.

In the form shown in Figures 9 to 12, one end 19 of each tie-wire extends radially inward and terminates in a hook 20. The other end of said tie-wire also extends ra dially inward, as at 21, to apoint opposite the hook 20 and is there bent at 135 to provide a straight portion 22. At the end of this straight portion 22 the wire is bent a second time to provide a portion 23 at right angles to the portion 22 and terminates in a hook 2 1. These hooks may be of the fully engaged form shown in Figure 9 or may be left open as shown by the books 20 and 2a of Figure 11, the latter forms being used for knock down reel-s. It will be noted from Figures 9 to 12 that the straight end 19 of a tie wire alternates with the angled end formed by the portions 21, 22 and 28 or" a second tie-wire. It also will be noted that this straight end is hooked into the 90 angle between the portions 22 and 23, while the hook 24 engages in the 135 angle be tween the portions 21 and 22 of an oppositely disposed tie-wire.

By mean-s of this construction the resiliency of the heads will maintain their interlocked portions of the tie-wires under considerable tension and will thereby prevent accidental collapse of the reel, even though it is subjected to extremely severe use. It will also be obvious that the interlocking of the tie-wire ends forms a central loop which can be used for mounting the reel upon a shaft or may be grasped by the tongs: in handling the same and that owing to the peculiar interlocking the use of such tongs will not distort or collapse the reel.

In assembling the reels, the ribs are first hooked together, in the manner illustrated. One head is then inserted edgewise between the ribs and then turned about toward the normal position but at an angle permitting two adjacent inside points of the star to enter the notches 15, such as those marked A in Fig. 1. The head is then brought to final position by moving the opposite outer point of the star, marked B, until the inner points, marked C, snap into the corresponding notches at the bends of the ribs. During this last movement, the tension of the star head must be overcome and sutficient force must be exerted to contract the head from the dotted line position to the full line position. The elasticity of the star frame is exerted outwardly from the center and equalizes the tension on the hooked ends forming the central eyelet. The outward elastic pull of. the sides, of the head or star end frame holds the head firmly in the notches 15 of the ribs, thus making the spool staunch and rigid. To disassemble the spool, the operation above described is reversed. Ii it is desired to lock the parts of the spdol permanently in position, the hooks may be bent into closed position as illustrated in 5'.

For-purposes of illustration I have shown heads constructed in four-pointed star form, but it will be obvious without further i1lustration that three or five-pointed star forms can be employed with alcorresponding number of ribs.

lavingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A reel comprising spaced heads, each formed of a continuous wire frame of approximate star shape, and barrel forming ties connecting the heads at the reentrant angles and drawing the reentrant angles of each head toward its center.

2. A reel comprising spaced heads, each formed of a single length of resilient rod having its ends united to form a closed frame, said rod being bent to form a substantially star shaped figure having rounded points and oppositely disposed pairs of reentrant angles, tie-wires extending across each head and drawing the opposite re-entrant angles toward each other, the tie-wires at one head forming a continuation of the tie wires at the opposite head and holding said heads in spaced relation, the connecting portions of the tie wires between said. heads forming the reel barrel. 7

A reel comprising a pair of star shaped integral frames forming heads, barrel-forming tie-wires each extending from are-entrant angle of one head to a corresponding reentrant angle'of the other head and pro vided with inwardly openingU-shapedbends at the points of intersection with the heads to engage and lock said heads in position, the extremities of thetie-wires being directedinwardly of the frames forming the heads and interlocked.

4. A reel comprising a pair of star shaped integral frames forming heads, barrel-forming tie-wires each extending from a re-entrant angle of one head to a corresponding reentrant angle of the other head and provided with inwardly opening U-shaped bends at the points of intersection with the heads to engage and lock said heads in position, the extremities of the tie-wires being directed inwardly of the frames forming the heads and interlocked, the interlocking portions of the tie-wires at each end being shaped and arranged to form a closed loop. 7

5. A reel comprising a pair of star shaped integral frames forming heads, barrel-torming tie-wires each extending from av re-entrant angle of one head to a corresponding re-entrant angle of the other head and pro vided with inwardly opening bends at the points of intersection with the heads to engage and lock said heads in osition, each extremity of each tie-wire being extended radially inward to a point in spaced relation to the center, said extremity being then bent to extend in a plane parallel to the head at an angle of substantially 135 with the last mentioned portions, each extremity being provided with a terminal hook engaging over the angle portion of the extremity of the adjacent tie-wire.

6. A reel comprising a-pair of star shaped integral frames forming heads, barrel-forming tie-wires each extending from a re-entrant angle of one head to a corresponding reentrant angle of the other head and provided with inwardly opening bends at the points of intersection with the heads to engage and lock said heads in position, each extremity of each tie-wire being extended radially inward to a point in spaced relation to the center, said extremity being then bent to extend in a plane parallel to the head at an angle of substantially 135 with the last mentioned portion, and curved to form a quarter circle having its center at the center of the frame forming the head, each extremity being provided with a terminal hook engaging over the angled portion of the extremity of the adjacent tie Wire.

7. A reel comprising a pair of star shaped integral frames forming heads, barrel forming tie wires and each extending from a reentrant angle of one head to a corresponding re-entrant angle of the other head and provided with inwardly opening bends at the points of intersection with the heads to en gage and lock said heads in position, one extremity of each tie wire being extended radially inward to a point in spaced relation to the center and terminating in an attaching hook, the other extremity of each tie being extended radially inward to a point opposite the hook of the first extremity and then bent at an angle of 135 and then at to a point in alinement with the radial portion and then terminating in an attaching hook, said terminal portions being in planes substantially those of the head frames, said tiewires being arranged to have a straight end of one wire and an angled end of another wire in alternation at each head, the hook on each straight end engaging the 90 angle portion of an adjacent wire and the hook on each angled end being engaged with the angled portion of an oppositely disposed wire.

8. A reel comprising spaced heads each formed of a continuous resilient wire frame of approximate star shape, and barrel forming ties connecting the star-shaped heads at their reentrant angles and forming ribs of the reel, said ties being hooked together to form eyelets centrally disposed in the planes of the heads and being maintained under tension by the outward pull of the resilient sides of the heads.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES L. NEWTON. 

